NASHVILLE — There was more fallout about Memphis' Electrolux deal at the State Capitol this afternoon, and a hint that the deal might be in jeopardy.

Senate Speaker and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said former Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber canceled a meeting the two had scheduled for today in which Ramsey wanted to learn more about the state's $101 million commitment to Electrolux and a separate deal to land two Amazon distribution centers in the Chattanooga area. Both were negotiated in the waning days of former governor Phil Bredesen's tenure.

Ramsey said he still has not seen anything in writing about the Electrolux deal and while he's prepared to honor whatever the previous administration committed to, he wants to see what the actual obligation is.

Ramsey, R-Blountville, for the first time opened the door on the possibility that the state legislature might not approve the funding — and for Amazon, a major change in state tax law — if some answers aren't forthcoming.

He was asked by a reporter: "If you're committed to the deals that you're raising questions about now, is this purely for going forward purposes or could things change for Electrolux and Amazon as far as you're concerned?"

Ramsey replied: "I'll have to say on that I don't know until I actually look at the agreements and see what the ramifications are for those moving forward. Now obviously I want to make sure that if there's something we made an obligation, that we uphold that obligation — but if there's not, then I think it's worth looking at. That's all I can say. I'm not trying to be evasive. My problem is I don't know. That's why I'm trying to set up this meeting so I would know."

The lieutenant governor has questioned terms of the Electrolux deal negotiated last December by city, county and state officials and Memphis Chamber of Commerce executives since he first learned of it in January. He has been particularly critical of the lack of a "clawback" provision in the deal that would require the company to repay some or all of the taxpayer funding that it's receiving if it doesn't generate the 1,250 direct jobs at its Memphis plant that it has promised.

He raised the issue again in his weekly press conference last Thursday when he told reporters that he had asked Kisber in for a private meeting about details of the deal. That meeting was set for today, but Ramsey said the former state official canceled.

"I don't know why… I guess he thought we were going to have a media event. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just want to try to figure out exactly what we have promised to some of these companies because keep in mind the legislature is the ones that has to vote on these appropriations and I think it's legitimate for us to find out what was promised and when. And we're still having a very very, very tough time getting to the bottom of this."

Ramsey said he called Kisber back today, left him a voice mail assuring him that their meeting would be private and that he still hopes it can occur. A reporter's efforts to reach Kisber were unsuccessful.

Ramsey said other lawmakers want answers to the questions too. More than four months after Bredesen, Kisber, city and state officials announced the Electrolux deal in a showy ceremony at The Peabody, Ramsey said he's not been shown anything in writing about a deal that obligates Tennessee taxpayers to $101 million, nor the deal that altered state tax policy to lure the Web-based retailing giant Amazon to build two distribution centers in Hamilton and Bradley counties.

"Nothing. I have not seen anything in writing on either one of those deals," Ramsey said. "Now, we met with the Electrolux people at one time and even at that time, I don't think there was anything in writing because as a matter of fact, their story kind of changed while we were sitting there talking to them about what they had to have and when.

"That's all I'm asking for is some kind of full disclosure and if it's something that needs to be kept confidential for business recruitment reasons, then I'm more than happy to keep it confidential. But at the same time I want to make sure that we as a legislature — at least some members of the legislature — know the details of some of these meetings and was anything in writing. The one thing I'd have to say is it makes you wonder if anything was in writing if nothing has been presented in writing."